WO 171/1257 - 3 Irish Guards - September 1944

Instructions regarding War Diaries and Intelligence Summaries are contained in F.S. Regs., Vol. 1. and the Staff Manual respectively Title pages will be prepared in manuscript.	WAR DIARY or INTELLIGENCE SUMMARY	Army Form C.2118
	WAR DIARY or INTELLIGENCE SUMMARY	Unit: 3rd Bn Irish Guards
Month and Year: September 1944	(Erase heading not required).	Commanding Officer: Lt. Col. J.O.E. Vandeleur

Place	Date	Hour	Summary	Reference
EAST of HECHTEL	10		As is often the case, the 1/5000 scale map bore no resemblance to the ground and after one coy and one sqn had been launched on the chosen axis it was proved that the going was entirely unsuitable to tks. Luckily, No. 4 Coy , which had been sent forward for this task of ground recce were able to dis-engage from the enemy with very light cas and the Bn group followed up the C.L. of the Gren GDS group who had discovered a bridge by means of which tks could cross the otherwise impassable ground. Having reached the main rd to the ESCAUT Canal, the L.G. group were ordered to hook right and make for the bridge over the ESCAUT at GROOT BARRIER. During the approach march we met no opposition and civilians and elements of H.C.R infmd us that there were no enemy SOUTH of the Canal. We reached the area of the bridge as light was failing and the Commanding Officer, after a rapid recce, decided to try and rush it. No. 2 Coy and one sqn of tks were detailed for the job. The tks put down a hail of fire on the area of the bridge itself and succeeded in knocking out several un-armed 88 mm AA/A.Tk guns. Lt. Stanley-Clarke’s pl, preceded by a tp of tks then rushed the bridge itself and succeeded in reaching the opposite side. The remainder of No. 2 Coy and No. 3 Coy were quickly pushed across to join them and the postn was rapidly consolidated. The RE Offcr with the Bn succeeded in disconnecting all the charges which were in position to blow the bridge and the crossing of the ESCAUT had been successfully achieved. Total cas for the day were one OR killed and 5 ORs wounded.

Source: Jeroen Koppes, TracesOfWar.com, transcribing: Fred Bolle.

Disclaimer: This War Diary is based on its original, but typos might be corrected. Locations are calculated, so might not be in the correct place. For historical research, always check the originals.

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